The local index, which includes companies based in Houston as well as some major employers, was up 7.2 percent for the year.

Six stocks more than doubled in value during the year, with energy companies, financial and information services firms, chemical companies and a clothing retailer among the top gainers.

In all, 100 of the Houston 150 companies posted positive returns in 2012, while 46 lost value. Four stocks were not part of the analysis because they weren't trading for the entire year.

For the year, the Houston 150 nearly matched the 7.3 per- cent gain for the Dow Jones industrial average but was well below the 13.4 increase for the S&P 500. The Houston 150 index was down slightly in 2011 and gained 21 percent in 2010.

Bank of America, a top performer among the Houston 150, employs about 3,000 locally. It was the No. 1 stock on the Dow average in 2012. Some other financial firms on the Houston 150 that did well were HCC Insurance and Wells Fargo.